Never Mind The SandThe latest in a chain of attempts to keep friends and family updated about what I've been doing, just finished doing or am thinking about doing. Or at least what I want people to think I've done am doing or will be doing.

So the winds are gone…

Well, the winds are gone…and so is half of our carport tarp. As I mentioned in my last post the high winds on sunday really did a number on our carport. Here are some better photos of the destruction in action:

Since it was still blowing while I took those it was hard to time it when the full extent of the tear was possible. Thursday evening I ended forgetting to take

any pictures before taking down the remains. At the time these photos were taken it was torn past the first seam visible, shortly after they were taken it tore past the second seam visible – just before the top. Had it stopped there I could have patched up an half cover that would look like it was done on purpose. But the winds would have nothing with that and continued to tear it past the peak and the next seam.

I borrowed Rich’s 16′ ladder to try and get it down…and it just grazed the top. So apparently the top of my arch is right about 16′. Just for the record the width is 177″ (Just over 14′) and althought I’ve measured it I’ve already forgotten what the height to the bottom of the tarp is. The tarp sections are 20′ long so it’s a 40′ long canopy. I’m recording it here so I’ll be able to remember it later! I have to measure the tattered remains to find out how wide of a tarp he used…I suspect it’s a 20′ x 20′ but I have no idea what that curve is and I’m not about to try and calculate what size tarp I should need when there’s a chunk the full length that I can just measure.

After riches ladder didn’t reach I thought about calling Mark to see if he could bring by his scissors lift … but as I pulled Amy’s truck in I noticed that it looked like I may be able to reach the top if I just stood on her truck cab. We’ve used the roof of Matt’s suburban to support a couch and 4 people many times in the dunes and at the sand drags. And I’ve had 2 people relax on the top of my old Ramcharger in similar situations. Before I got a ladder I ofen used my Ramcharger or Amy’s truck to access the roof of the house we lived in previously…so I’m pretty comfortable with working from the roof of a truck.

Amy wasn’t quite so comfortable with it. Even with the truck moving beneeth me I felt more stable than on a rock solid ladder…but Amy was afraid to move the truck with me up there, even when I was on my hands and knees. The working height was perfect though. On my feet I was able to easily reach the entire structure…but not hit my head on any of it. The width of the truck meant we had to make two passes since one side was tied too high to reach from the ground – but otherwise it was super quick and easy.

It’s looking like a new tarp won’t be too bad. I’m just still researching materials and debating the various options available.